The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ernesto was expected to roll south of Jamaica as a hurricane Sunday evening. The forecast would carry it into the coastal resorts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday.

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The storm forced Dominica to close its airport for two days, and St. Lucia ordered shops to close for several hours, but no damage or flooding was reported on islands affected by the storm.

The hurricane center said Ernesto had maximum sustained winds of about 50 mph (85 kph) Saturday afternoon. It was about 270 miles (440 kilometers) south of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and was moving westward at 18 mph (30 kph).

Meanwhile, a new tropical storm, Florence, formed further out in the Atlantic. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was about 415 miles (665 kilometers) west of the Cape Verde Islands. The National Hurricane Center said it was not expected to reach hurricane force as it marches generally westward.